1. Field
Apparatuses and methods consistent with the exemplary embodiments relate to an image forming apparatus which fixes a printed medium by a fixing unit and a method of controlling the same, and more particularly, to an image forming apparatus having a structure which improves a fixing of a printed medium and a method of controlling the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus forms a visual image by a developing solution on a printing-target medium and fixes such an unfixed visual image on a printed medium by applying a heat and a pressure thereto by a fixing unit. The fixing unit includes a heat emitting unit which generates a heat; and a pressure roller which is pressured with regard to the heat emitting unit to form a nip. Such fixing is carried out by allowing a printed medium to pass through the nip to which the heat and the pressure are applied.
The image forming apparatus heats the fixing unit such that the temperature of the fixing unit reaches a fixing reference temperature upon receiving a printing start command in a stand-by state. The image forming apparatus actuates a pickup roller to pick up and feed a printing target medium if the temperature of the fixing unit reaches a pickup timing temperature that is set to be lower than the fixing reference temperature by a predetermined temperature value.
Here, the temperature of the fixing unit may vary at a point of time when the fixing unit starts to be heated. For example, the temperature of the fixing unit in the case that a long time has elapsed since the stand-by state may significantly be lower than the temperature thereof in the case that a short time has elapsed since the stand-by state.
In the meantime, while the printed medium passes through the fixing unit, the printed medium absorbs the heat of the fixing unit. Accordingly, if the printing operation is started after a long time has elapsed since the stand-by state, the temperature of the fixing unit may significantly be reduced as the fixing of the printed medium is in progress. For that reason, the fixing may abnormally be performed at the back side of the printed medium that has passed through the fixing unit, thereby generating a fixing error.